Iron Man
So, we went to see Iron Man last night. As one of my guildies said, "It made up for Spiderman 3." It was very good.
The first thing I noticed, though, was the Robert Downey Jr.'s (Tony Stark) resemblance to Reeve Tuesti from the Final Fantasy VII games.
I was never really into comic books, so I can't comment as to it's faithfulness to the original. Nevertheless, it was an excellent movie. I was most impressed with the character development. Tony Stark is a brilliant scientist, but he has his vices. He's egotistical, impulsive, a lady's man, and a drunkard. In the beginning of the movie, he only cares about his bottom line. But after he is captured by terrorists, his eyes are opened to the destruction that is wrought--literally--by the weapons of his own making, and he sets out to make up for the mistakes made by him and his company.
I did think there was a slight disconnect, though, between Stark's character and the Iron Man. It was hard for me to imagine that Stark was in that suit. It was almost as if the suit took on a life and character of its own. (And perhaps that was the point.) But it wasn't just Stark. I also felt the same way about Iron Monger. It felt like machine vs. machine rather than man vs. man or even man vs. machine. That was only my only complaint, but don't let that drive you away. This is a good movie.
I was also very impressed with Gwyneth Paltrow's character, "Pepper" Potts. Pepper is very beautiful and sexy, yet in a very innocent and unassuming way. It wasn't blatant at all. I was very glad they didn't try to force a romance between her and Stark, though they did hint at it. While some writers feel that some romance is necessary in a story, and indeed sometimes it can add flavor, but it just felt very awkward and even detracting in the Spiderman trilogy. (Star Wars prequels, anyone?) One of my favorite scenes was where Pepper has to play "Operation" with Stark. It's funny, to begin with, but it also gives you a nice picture of their relationship.
The action scenes weren't as chaotic as Transformers. In fact, they were very tight. The special effects are gorgeous. (What I would give for Stark's high-tech workshop.) The plot is very clear.
And my final score: 9/10!
The first thing I noticed, though, was the Robert Downey Jr.'s (Tony Stark) resemblance to Reeve Tuesti from the Final Fantasy VII games.
I was never really into comic books, so I can't comment as to it's faithfulness to the original. Nevertheless, it was an excellent movie. I was most impressed with the character development. Tony Stark is a brilliant scientist, but he has his vices. He's egotistical, impulsive, a lady's man, and a drunkard. In the beginning of the movie, he only cares about his bottom line. But after he is captured by terrorists, his eyes are opened to the destruction that is wrought--literally--by the weapons of his own making, and he sets out to make up for the mistakes made by him and his company.
I did think there was a slight disconnect, though, between Stark's character and the Iron Man. It was hard for me to imagine that Stark was in that suit. It was almost as if the suit took on a life and character of its own. (And perhaps that was the point.) But it wasn't just Stark. I also felt the same way about Iron Monger. It felt like machine vs. machine rather than man vs. man or even man vs. machine. That was only my only complaint, but don't let that drive you away. This is a good movie.
I was also very impressed with Gwyneth Paltrow's character, "Pepper" Potts. Pepper is very beautiful and sexy, yet in a very innocent and unassuming way. It wasn't blatant at all. I was very glad they didn't try to force a romance between her and Stark, though they did hint at it. While some writers feel that some romance is necessary in a story, and indeed sometimes it can add flavor, but it just felt very awkward and even detracting in the Spiderman trilogy. (Star Wars prequels, anyone?) One of my favorite scenes was where Pepper has to play "Operation" with Stark. It's funny, to begin with, but it also gives you a nice picture of their relationship.
The action scenes weren't as chaotic as Transformers. In fact, they were very tight. The special effects are gorgeous. (What I would give for Stark's high-tech workshop.) The plot is very clear.
And my final score: 9/10!